Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Beelzebub Jou no Okinimesu and while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned.
In a hell where the fire and despair is replaced by both cuteness and fluffiness demons rather than engage in intrigue and plots instead struggle over matters of the heart and the feelings that they have towards others as they seek to improve themselves.
Based off a popular manga of the same name Beelzebub Jou no Okinimesu Mama which is better known by its English title of As Miss Beelzebub likes is a romance, comedy and fantasy anime that gives us the rare opportunity to see what will happen if Beelzebub once one of heavens strongest angels after being banished from heaven not only establishes her own domain that she uses to both house and allow angels who like her have taken the path of the demon to live and work out their lives for her but instead of making the land all dark, grim and fiery as other demons would have decided instead modernized it and replaced the dark colors with bright ones and replaced the grim and fatalistic aura with both fluffiness and cute and strong bonds of friendship that exist between the denizens of hell. The idea and concept of hell have always been a subject that interested me due largely to the many varied depictions of it that I have seen across all forms of popular media whether its light novels, manga or anime and video games and as a result I always thought that I seen everything that hell can become. However that changed when I saw the premise for Beelzebub as unlike standard depictions of hell Beelzebub can be said to have done the total opposite as it replaced much of the traditional trappings that hell usually had with concepts that may on first impressions seem out of place but over time prove to be concepts that work surprisingly well when they act in synergy with one another. This creative use of concepts that can be considered the opposite of what hell is usually depicted as and the effects that it had on it made quite the impression on me and was one of the main reasons why I decided to give this show a chance. While the first episode of the series did a great job of introducing the setting and the first of the cast I felt that it was a relatively weak episode that didn’t have the kind of impact that I would have hoped. However, despite this my interest into the series unique premise prompted me to continue on and I was glad to see that the following episodes were much better and that in the end, I managed to watch it to the very end.
The overall story for the series follows the life of Beelzebub a powerful demon that despite possessing the power that can be said to allow her to stand on almost equal footing with the demon lord that would have ensured that she align herself with him instead elects to live in a life of peace where both she and the demons that resides within her domain can live their lives peacefully and learn to not just coexist with each other but forge bonds with each other and pass each day in both peace and comfort. The overall setting that Beelzebub makes use of as its main setting is Pandemonium a land that like the overall premise was switched to something that was more in line with the theme of peace and friendships rather than the threat of fiery death and the suffocating feel of despair that traditional hell would have made use off. The land of Pandemonium is a land that can be seen to resemble a fantasy version of a modern-day Japanese town whether in terms of layout and in the types of buildings that are present within the town. However, rather than featuring humans as the main occupants that will be ruled by demons as one would have expected Pandemonium is instead wholly the domain of the demons who instead of taking forms that would showcase the demon race instead take up the form of humans as they live their daily lives. While Beelzebub acts as the overall leader of the land of Pandemonium each of the high-ranking demons that act as her subordinates rather than taking domains of separate lands within the realm instead is assigned to manage one of the many departments that can be seen to perform functions that are vital to the continued smooth running of the land. Despite being reduced to become little more than civil servants I felt that Beelzebub’s restructuring of the higher command echelons of the demon hierarchy was pretty creative as even though there may not be fighting to defend their domain with cunning and spear as department heads they are still fulfilling their role as both leaders of the demons and their liege’s advisors by trading their cunning and skill at arms with honesty and the act of working hard to ensure that the demons that live alongside them can live in relative peace something that I thought resonated well with the series main theme.
Joining Beelzebub in this fun and fluffy adventure of maintaining peace within the land of pandemonium while trying to encourage the forging of bonds between demons and make life that much more enjoyable for everyone is a host of characters whose unique personality quirks and struggles to fulfill their liege’s earnest desires all serve to make this tale an amusing one from start to end. These include the serious and dutiful Mullin, the laid back but surprisingly perceptive Astaroth, the cold but surprisingly cute Sargatanas, the quiet but determined Belphegor and the quiet but surprisingly friendly Azazel. Together Beelzebub and her fellow demons in their desire to live their lives in peace and comfort and bond with their fellow subordinates would not just learn to understand themselves more but also come to realize that their subordinates also have a hidden side to them that they work hard to keep hidden from their bosses. In this desire to not just live in a land of peace but also find enjoyment in learning about the hidden natures that are seemingly hidden from them what kind of hilarity would they find and how would these change the nature of bosses and the nature of the relationship that exists between them and their dear subordinates.
Beelzebub
Beelzebub portrayed by veteran seiyuu Saori Oonishi of Comic Girls and Food Wars fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A powerful demon and the ruler of the realm of Pandemonium Beelzebub due largely to the fear and respect that comes from her reputation as being one of the greater demons within the demon hierarchy is often seen by many as someone that’s wise, cool and someone that had a lot of integrity that benefited someone of that rank. In actuality however, things are rather different. From her initial appearances, Beelzebub can be seen to be someone that is carefree, innocent and positive by nature that while kind and hardworking is also seen to be somewhat ditsy in nature with this being shown well in her love of fluffy things and her tendency to mix the less important matters with the important ones. Despite her role as being the overall leader of the realm of Pandemonium Beelzebub rather than being shown to display traits of arrogance and overconfidence that is typically expected of such characters instead is shown to be someone that is polite, caring and playful by nature and rather than treating her subordinates and friends with scorn instead treats them with courtesy, care and loyalty. While often seen as ditsy by her closest friends it can be seen that despite this Beelzebub is someone that is perceptive and understanding by nature and while her insights into specific subjects may be simple at times she can often provide some surprisingly perceptive advice that is able to get to the very heart of a problem that is troubling either her or her friends that hint at the level of perception that she can call upon. Despite her ditsy nature however, it can be seen that Beelzebub can get serious at times and able to project an attitude that is more benefitting of her role as a demon lord. However, this can also be said to be somewhat of a double-edged sword as this while giving her an extra dose of confidence also reveals the somewhat fragile side of her inner self to others a side that is easily hurt if people treat her coldly or she is misunderstood by others. This side of her personality I thought was an interesting one that while resonating well with the series main theme of friendship and bonds also shows that despite being at the peak of the power structure of the realm Beelzebub is someone that still has feelings and insecurities as well.
As the series goes on and Beelzebub’s character is expanded upon her personality gradually begins to change. Despite being seen as a greater demon that would be seen by others as being a being that would be capable of doing any type of job it can be seen quite surprisingly that Beelzebub is someone that is seen to have very little knowledge of how things work in the world and indeed seems to lack any sort of practical knowledge that most demons would have possessed. This is shown well during her attempt to take care of her aide Mullin when he was bedridden in which she showed that rather amusingly she not only lacked any sort of cooking skills but also basic food knowledge skills as well something that I felt was not just amusing but pointed at the fact that even greater demons have things they cannot do. While a diligent and hardworking person by nature it can be seen quite amusingly that Beelzebub is someone that has a curiously short attention span and is someone that can easily get distracted by food and as a result requires constant breaks to allow her to recharge. However, while this can be seen as a disadvantage it can also be seen as the opposite as well as once her appetite has been sated Beelzebub can revert back to her usual queen like role that’s not just more focused but also one that projects a sense of confidence and professionalism that’s more benefitting of a leader than her usual ditsy look. At the beginning of the series largely due to the position that she held Beelzebub was someone that kept a careful distance from not just her friends but also from her staff as well due to a desire to keep things professional between her and her advisors and avoid any instances of favoritism among the government. This is shown especially well in the initial relationship that existed between Beelzebub and her aide Mullin. However, while this approach of hers was seen to be effective it also created within her a sense of disconnect between her and Mullin in which besides duties and knowledge that are needed for work, she knew next to nothing about him or the other staffers something that only dawned on her when she sought advice from her friends. While it can be seen to be a protective mechanism of sorts that would stop people from hating her from prying this sense of disconnect also prevented others from trying to know the real you and allow them to better anticipate your needs that would have enhanced the effectiveness of their duties. As a result of this misunderstanding and the revelation that rather than protecting and allowing others to work more effectively she was in fact hindering them Beelzebub’s attitude towards friendship and bonds started to gradually change. Rather than trying to limit the number of interactions that she has with her friends and allies and try to maintain a working relationship with them as she did in the past Beelzebub in the aftermath began to try to not just bond with her allies emotionally but also get to know them on a personal level as friends as well. While allowing her allies to get a better feel on the feelings and moods of their liege this change in attitude in Beelzebub also served well to show the kind of determination that she had developed to enable her to get closer to those that she cares about and be of some use to them in their time of need. The character of Beelzebub I felt was an interesting character whose ditsy and innocent surface personality contrasted well with the focused, serious and queen like nature that she adapts when she’s in that mode. Her gradual development from someone that largely hid her true self from others in a desire to protect herself from harm at the cost of knowing next to nothing about her allies to someone that was not just determined to forge bonds with others but to know them on a personal level when combined with her desire to improve her own skills and knowledge of the world around her I felt was well done and pretty heartwarming to see.
Mullin
Mullin portrayed by new voice actor Rikuya Yasuda is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A male demon resident of Pandemonium and the head attendant of the hell realm that assists his liege Beelzebub in her duties Mullin can be said to be at the heart of the command echelons that manage the daily lives of the inhabitants of Pandemonium. However rather than show the kind of arrogance and overbearing superiority that many in his role would no doubt show Mullin instead is shown to be the entire opposite instead. From initial appearances it can be seen that while Mullin can be seen to be a serious, dutiful and responsible person by nature that understands the prestige and responsibility that the role represents within the hierarchy he does not let this fame get to him and cause him to develop any form of arrogance that most would expect of people with such a high role. Indeed, to his credit, Mullin not only resists such temptations but instead fulfills his role with both honor and integrity as while easily nervous Mullin is someone that is able to not just suppress that fear but also show both kindness and care to everyone that he meets regardless of the rank that they have. While shown to be a serious person that approached his job with due reverence it can be seen that Mullin is also someone that was not just perceptive to the needs of his liege but also surprisingly attentive and understanding of the moods that she goes through as well which shows not just his skills as an aide but also the care that he applies to his duties as well. However, while certainly attentive to the needs of his liege it can be seen that Mullin was someone that found it hard to express his true thoughts on matters instead preferring to simply bury them within him. Due largely to his caring and kind nature Mullin was someone that had little trouble in making friends and forging friendships and as a result, he was someone that was seen to enjoy a high amount of trust by both his fellow staffers and the many demon lords that lived within the realm. However, this can also be said to be a double-edged sword as well as it means that when trouble shows up that cannot be dealt with easily his is the first name that would be sought when that happens much to his dismay. At the beginning of the series while shown to have a healthy amount of respect for his liege Mullin was shown to have a seemingly complicated relationship with her. While not enjoying the fact that her actions often had the effect of keeping him on his toes, he nonetheless had a great deal of respect for her and was shown to care about her a great deal as shown when he scolded those that berated her despite his quiet nature.
As the series goes on however and his personality is expanded upon Mullin’s personality gradually starts to change. In the beginning of the series as noted previously, Mullin had a rather complicated relationship with his liege that arose mainly from the fact that the true image of his lord was a direct contrast to the version of her that he had seen in the past. Indeed, it can be seen that the effect of this revelation was harder on Mullin because his impression of the version that he saw in the past was what can be said to be his main source of motivation for working in the government as an aide in the first place. As a result of this shattering of his ideal image of his lord Mullin while still very much loyal to her was seen to treat his liege with a degree of wariness and caution as if lamenting the fact that his ideal image of his lord was nothing more than a dream. However, as the series goes on and Mullin gets to both interact with and understand his liege as a person this sense of wariness that he has towards her starts to gradually vanish. While initially taking issue with Beelzebub’s seemingly laid-back nature and the fact that she has a very short attention span as the series went on and Mullin had the opportunity to not just know her as both a person and a ruler Mullin began to realize that while Beelzebub may appear to be ditzy and unreliable on the surface and that she may have a rather short attention span beneath this she is also someone that’s not just kind to everyone that she meets but also approaches each situation calmly trying to divine the best routes that can please not just her and the government but also all of their charges as well. As a result of this realization, Mullin not only realized just how difficult the role of a ruler is but also of just how much Beelzebub herself cares about not just the peace that reigns in the realm but also how much she cares about the well being of her charges. While she can certainly appear to be ditsy and unfocused on the surface beneath this is indeed someone that is determined to do the very best for her people. While still bothered to some degree by Beelzebub’s nature Mullin’s attitude towards his liege gradually starts to soften as he while redoubling his efforts to try and support her in her duties as a ruler also starts to take great care in trying to both understand the feelings that she has towards her various duties but at the same time reinforce any weaknesses that she may have in them as well. While generally maintaining his standard responsible personality trait Mullin as a result of seeing the strain that his liege puts herself under also starts to gradually realize that breaks and relaxation are just as important as being diligent at your job something that I felt contrasted well with his default uptight personality and was a development that I thought was well done. The character of Mullin I felt was an interesting one whose development from a kind, caring but uptight person who hid his true feelings to one that was not just attentive but also openly conscious of the feelings and struggles that are being experienced by others I felt was well done. This development I felt was reflected well in the increased character chemistry that gradually began to form between Mullin and Beelzebub as the bond between the two deepened.
Astaroth
Astaroth portrayed by veteran voice actor Yoshitsugu Matsuoka of Sword Art Online and Food wars fame is one of the main supporting characters of the series and is one of Beelzebub’s allies within the series. A former angel and now a powerful demon that resides within Pandemonium that serves as the realms finance chief Astaroth on initial appearances is seen to be a positive, optimistic and confident person by nature that approaches each day with a smile on his face. A friendly, kind and caring person by nature Astaroth on the surface can be seen to be akin to a playboy which while fitting as a demon lord also serves to make the professional lives of his subordinates a constant struggle as Astaroth true to his playboy persona is someone that is never there when work needs to be done. True to his playboy type persona Astaroth was someone that was not just laid back but also had a nasty habit of not just making poor statements but also come up with random ideas that have the sketchiest of reasons for their implementation. A classic example of such an idea within the series is the bathhouse that Astaroth had built in lieu of the health center that was supposed to have been built. Despite this nature of his that caused many to view him as a fool, it can be seen rather surprisingly that beneath this nature of his Astaroth is someone that is surprisingly perceptive and is able to easily notice when someone’s feelings are out of sync with their usual self. At the same time while noted to be someone that was friendly and caring towards all it can be seen that to a degree that Astaroth is someone that cares deeply about his friends and would try to understand the core issues that are causing them the problems that they are suffering in an effort to help them. This aspect is best shown in the strong bond that he has with Beelzebub and his attempts to help her solve the doubts that she had about her bond with Mullin.
While largely retaining the core personality traits that define him as the series goes on and as Astaroth was able to witness first hand how much Beelzebub’s personality has changed as a result of her increasing bond with her aide Mullin Astaroth began to realize that while his current lifestyle of being a playboy was a fun one he was not actually doing much to help his fellow demons unlike his fellow department heads. Indeed, despite being a powerful demon Astaroth in his desire to avoid hard work and responsibility was not just putting a lot of strain on his subordinates but also causing them endless trouble. More importantly, he was also causing trouble for his liege and friend Beelzebub something that he began to realize he had to change. As a result of this revelation Astaroth while not changing much in terms of personality began to take steps to not just improve himself but also make himself more useful to his liege as well. At the same time he also began to realize that despite always slacking off when work is needed to be finished and despite always coming up with ideas that almost always end up failing spectacularly his subordinates have not just endured this but also worked hard to not just undo the damage but also keep him on track with his duties something that he is shown to be genuinely grateful for and within the series is shown well in the heartfelt thanks that he expresses to his aide Sargatanas. The character of Astaroth I felt was an interesting character that while often used as the series main source of comic relief also proved to be a character that had some interesting development that did well to show that beneath his playboy nature Astaroth was also someone that was not just perceptive but cared deeply about his friends as well. Seeing Astaroth witness the many changes that his liege and friend Beelzebub goes through as she opens up to her aide and the realization that perhaps its time to change his own life as well, I felt was an interesting development of his character that resonated well with the theme that opening up your true self to others is what will enable you to change and improve your life.
Sargatanas
Sargatanas portrayed by veteran seiyuu Ai Kakuma of Asterisk Wars and Clockwork Planet fame is one of the main supporting characters of the series and is one of Beelzebub’s allies within the series. A female demon that possesses an icy and forbidding aura about her Sargatanas on initial appearances is seen to be a dutiful, serious and direct person by nature that approaches her role within the hierarchy of Pandemonium with due reverence and professionalism. An honest, cool and collected person by nature Sargatanas serves as chief aide to the head of the finance department Astaroth and due largely due to the laid-back nature of her boss as well as his tendency to skip work and have fun elsewhere is often seen as the shadow head of the said department. While seen to be an effective aide to him due to her professionalism and hard-working nature Sargatanas is also seen as an effective counter to his antics and indeed can be said to be the one person that is able to keep him on track. Despite Sargatanas being an aide, it can be seen rather amusingly that she has no qualms with either physically restraining him or using violence on him to force him to get back to work something that I felt represented well the kind of relationship that existed between the two. Though widely seen as being serious, intelligent and overly loyal to her role as an aide it can be seen that Sargatanas outside of her intimidating nature is also someone that’s intelligent, level-headed and someone that has great foresight. These latter traits while often hard to see by those that don’t know her very well show that beneath her icy and intimidating aura Sargatanas was someone that was not just reliable to her friends and superiors but at the same time can be counted upon to keep the wild antics of her esteemed boss under a tight leash.
As the series goes on however it can be seen that while Sargatanas may be a strict and stern person that isn’t afraid of using both intimidation and violence to make her boss repent for his actions that beneath this she also has a softer side to her personality as well. Unlike her default personality in which she is shown to be both icy and intimidating this softer side to her personality can be said to be akin to her true girly self that she tries hard to conceal from others. In this side of her personality rather than show disdain towards things that can be said to be girly such as cute accessories and toys as she would have done so in her default self it can be seen that instead of doing so, she instead displays a surprising sense of adoration towards them that seems out of place for her considering her reputation among Pandemonium. At the same time while showing adoration towards items that can be seen to be cute Sargatanas also displays an interesting sensitivity towards the types of positive feelings that comes from seeing couples enjoy their time together. While seen to be something of an offshoot to her default personality it can be said that this alt personality of hers is something that can be said to be the true face of the character of Sargatanas as while reflecting well on the types of positive feelings that she feels at seeing cute items this personality of hers also served well to show the kind of struggles that she has in balancing her role as a serious and dutiful aide who tries hard to keep her boss in check by any means necessary. The character of Sargatanas I felt was an interesting character that while initially seen to be someone that was cold, direct and not above using force to restrain her boss swiftly developed to not just become a more effective character but also one that had much more emotional depth to her. The contrasting personality’s that exist within Sargatanas I felt was an interesting idea as while her default cold and intimidating personality may be seen by many to be her true self it can be seen that this personality while still representing her effectively within the realm is nothing more than a mask that came out of her desire to not just be effective at her role as an aide but also in helping conceal her true inner self that would cause her great amounts of stress if revealed. Despite being used as nothing but a mask I felt that Sargatanas’s default personality also did well to create a synergy effect with her boss Astaroth as while the two of them are often in direct opposition to each other their personalities I felt matched and complemented each other well despite this and ensured that each of their interactions were equally amusing to see.
Belphegor
Belphegor portrayed by veteran seiyuu Misaki Kuno of Myriad Colors Phantom World and Log Horizon fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Beelzebub’s main allies within the series. A former principality of heaven and now a demon that lives within the realm of Pandemonium Belphegor who has been nicknamed Gocchin by her liege is seen from her initial appearances to be a quiet and nervous person that’s easily rattled by the simplest of things. As a result of the social anxiety that’s been plaguing her for some time Belphegor while noted to be a powerful demon is someone that can be seen to have very low self confidence in herself and as a result while not lacking in people who are willing to help her and be friends with her actively tries to avoid such entanglements by fleeing. This unfortunate consequence of her actions however ensured that while often seen as cute by others she was someone that was visually impossible to approach normally. As a result of this seemingly unfortunate personality trait of hers, it's perhaps unsurprising that Belphegor is someone that is not just cautious by nature but also someone that trusts and warms up to others slowly. However, while slow to trust to others it can be seen that Belphegor’s attitude to those that she had truly bonded with is markedly different to her default attitude. Instead of her usual hesitant and nervous attitude that can be said to be her defining trait Belphegor to those that she trusts is shown to be a friendly, caring and considerate person that while understanding the limits to what she can do tries hard to provide advice to her friends whenever she can. This is best shown in her attempts to help Beelzebub try to understand the developing feelings that she has developed for her aide. As the series goes on Belphegor’s personality largely due to her crush on her fellow demon Azazel starts to gradually change. While still retaining her quiet and friendly nature Belphegor as the series goes on gradually begins to make an attempt to not just overcome her meekness and her desire to flee at the moment someone tries to get close to her but at the same time try to gradually open her heart to others and make the feelings that she hides inside them much more visible to not just her friends but also to the person that she loves.
Azazel
Azazel portrayed by veteran voice actor Satoshi Hino of Boruto and Log Horizon fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Beelzebub’s main allies within the series. A former member of the Cherub’s and now a demon that lives within the realm of Pandemonium Azazel from initial appearances is seen to be an intelligent, kind and perceptive person by nature that despite his muscular appearance is seen to be someone that is the total opposite of what that appearance represents being both friendly and sociable instead of intimidating and brash as his size would have suggested. While shown to be an intelligent and kind person Azazel is also someone that is noted to be both understanding and considerate of the feelings of others and is always ready to help those that are in need. However, despite his friendly and kind nature it can be seen that Azazel also has somewhat of a complex with his physical appearance as to him while doing well to intimate the occasional troublemaker that he may encounter as part of his job as a watcher this also had the unfortunate effect of causing other people to be in fear of him as well. As a result of this despite the positive and friendly nature that he shows to others, it can be seen that he is not just nervous and quiet but also lonely as well. Due to this, it's perhaps unsurprising that Azazel would as a result treat each of the friends that he has managed to make with both care and consideration and try to help them solve each of the problems that ail them. This is best shown within the series in his attempt to try and understand the problems that Sargatanas had with her problem of being seen as cute by others a problem that unknown to her he also suffers from. In addition to Azazel’s skill at needlework as well as his adoration of cute things one of the more prominent traits that can be said to define Azazel as a character is the fact that he relies entirely on text boards in order to communicate with others in the course of his life something that I felt was quite interesting as while making him stand out somewhat it also showed the depth to which his problem with nervousness has reached within him.
AMV
In terms of animation, I felt that the animation that was used within the series was both bright and clear and made great use of the more positive and cute colors that are within the color spectrum. These I felt not only enhanced the animation itself but also allow it to better show the cute and fluffy nature of the character animations for the series. Setting wise I felt that the bright colors and the unique animation style that was used within the series also did well to show the fuse of modern day and fantasy settings that the series made use of as its main setting by featuring locations and elements that are unique to both settings. While doing well in enhancing the character animations I also felt that these bright colors and style also did well to show the visualization of the various dreams that Beelzebub has within the series. While cute these I felt also featured a surprising variety among their ranks as well. In terms of character designs I felt that the character designs for the series was pretty well done with the uniforms that are own by the cast being a notable aspect as while they were relatively simple I felt that it gave the demons a sense of solidity with each other and at the same time a sense of role within the realm of Pandemonium which contrasts with the traditional depictions of hell that often shows demons as having no established roles within the realm.
In terms of music the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Pink Lemonade that was performed by Sangatsu no Phantasia and Akumade Koi Wazurai that was performed by the seiyuu’s of Beelzebub, Belphegor and Sargatanas which was Saori Oonishi, Misaki Kuno and Ai Kakuma respectively. Both of these songs I felt were really catchy and at the same time were cute ones that resonated well with the series main theme of cuteness and the forging of friendships. The series OST I felt while doing an excellent job at providing backing music to the many amusing situations that the cast encounter over the series also had the effect of providing a sense of relaxation to the viewer as well. In terms of voice acting, I felt that the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether main or support ones. In particular, I feel that Saori Oonishi, Rikuya Yasuda, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Ai Kakuma, Misaki Kuno and Satoshi Hino all did an excellent job of portraying the characters of Beelzebub, Mullin, Astaroth, Sargatanas, Belphegor and Azazel respectively. In addition, while I didn’t cover them within this review, I also felt that Aoi Yuuki, Chinatsu Akasaki, Aya Suzaki and Kikuko Inoue also did an excellent job in portraying the support characters of Dantalion, Eurynome, Morrigan and the series narrator respectively.
Overall conclusion
In overall Beelzebub Jou No Okinimesu Mama was an anime that I really enjoyed and while reception on MAL seems to be rather mixed, I believe that it’s definitely one of the best animes of this season. In my opinion, I believe that its main strong points are its unique premise, entertaining story, well designed and developed characters, creative dream sequences, cute bonding moments and excellent voice acting.
The overall premise of the series I felt was definitely one of the series main highlights. While hell has always existed within the realm of media in some form or another most of these tended to show it in a more traditional sense which is a fiery wasteland that has a depressing and oppressing atmosphere about it. While these aspects certainly do represent well an area where purported sinners were to descend to after their death, I felt that this aspect had started to become overused due to the lack of change in its depiction. As a result of this when I saw the core premise that Beelzebub was making use of, I have to say I was quite intrigued as rather than making use of the traditional depictions Beelzebub not only made use of an entirely new concept but also one that radically changed the concept of hell within the series. Here instead of the fiery wasteland that has become the standard for hell Pandemonium as hell is now referred to as is instead a land that’s filled with not just color but also with cuteness. Complementing well this concept of introducing color and cuteness to the concept of hell was the fact that in this setting as a result of fusing a modern-day Japan with a fantasy setting the powerful demons that would have been akin to demon lords within hell have been transformed into becoming members of a government and acting as department heads. This act of converting powerful demon lords into humans I felt was an interesting concept as it allowed us to not only see what powerful demons would look like if their base personality traits that they had as demons were given human form but also what will happen if they were to both learn off and make use of human-like emotions in their everyday lives. These concepts when paired with the new hell that emphasized positivity and the bonds that it symbolized, I felt took great advantage of the series core themes of friendships, bonds, love and the act of enjoying the peace that reigns.
The overall story that took great advantage of this premise I felt was also one aspect of the series that I enjoyed. While the overall premise had the effect of giving the demons of hell not just a human form but also the ability to not just understand the types of positive feelings and emotions that humans would I was curious to see the kind of effects that this would actually have within the demon’s daily lives as they set about fulfilling their assigned roles within the realm of Pandemonium. While the bond between Beelzebub and Mullin serves as the focal point within the series overall story, I felt that the series also took great care to ensure that each of the demons within the series whether they were main ones or support ones within the setting were not just expanded upon but also paired well with their destined other half within the series. This within the series is shown well in the many bonding moments within the series that was not just sweet to see but also, I felt was also developed really well. These bonding moments between the various characters within the series while sweet to see also I felt featured a great variety in them as well as while taking advantage of the base personalities of each demon these moments also took great advantage of the many hidden personal struggles that each of the characters had hidden within them. While these served to make the bonding moments nice to see I felt that they also served to make each moment and the process that goes with it that much heartwarming as the pairs were both able to not just connect with each other but also understand each other on a deeper more emotional level.
Overall Beelzebub was an anime that I really enjoyed that managed to not only introduce a relatively new and fun version of hell but also pair that with a sweet and heartwarming story that made use of concepts that can be said to be the total opposite of what hell should stand for. While I enjoyed the overall story, I felt that not all of the characters were used to their full potential with the characters of Dantalion and Eurynome being good examples of this. In terms of final score, I would say that Beelzebub deserves a final score of 9/10. This series is undoubtedly one of the hidden gems of this season that I hope this review would help draw attention too.
